Pressure jet apparatus



June 30, 1953 D. M. 'PAXTON 2,643,616

PRESSURE JET APPARATUS Filed 001:. 14, 1946 INVENTOR. Din i) 44. p4xr0/v I My invention relates Patented June 30, 1953 PRESSURE JET APPARATUS Dewey M. Paxton, Phoenix, 'Ariz., assignor to Industrial Research, Inc., a corporation of Arizona 1 Application October 14, 1946, Serial No. 703,236

1 to apparatus for producing jets of liquid, and more particularly relates to a machine for washing automobiles and machinery and for flushing radiators, plumbing, and the like, fOr which a high pressure jet is desirable, and has as a purpose the provision of simple, rugged, and easily controlled means for developing .and propelling a jet of liquid in repeated surges and at relatively high nozzle velocity and pressure.

A further purpose is to provide apparatus utilizing compressed air, which is usually availabl at automobile service stations, and garages, to supplement or to substitute for hydraulic pressure in the liquid supply line.

- Still another purpose of my invention is to provide apparatus utilizing compressed air to force a supply of solvent or detergent into the water stream and then to eject the mixture at greater pressure than normally hydraulically available.

A further purpose of my invention is to provide apparatus in which compressed air may be used intermittently to propel a jet stream of Water, or of a mixture of water and cleaning compounds, whereby a saving in the use of compressed air is effected.

,Another purpose of my invention is to provide in apparatus for the above stated purposes, a

surge tank for maintaining a high average pressure on the ejected stream which also serve as an emulsifying chamber for solvents and detergents and which preferably affords the operator visual control of the supply and emulsification of the cleaning compounds and thereby more efiicient and economical operation.

In many rural districts, water is available only from tanks or reservoirs which afford only slight supply pressure, quite insufiicient to break loose accumulations of grease and dirt in manually inaccessible places. Furthermore it is established in such hydraulic flushing operations tus and will then that a few jets of relatively high velocity are more effective than a steady stream at relatively low mean velocity, and it is a purpose of my invention to make such high velocity jets available to rural and urban communities alike, independently of supply-line water pressure.

Broadly stated my invention embodies the use of a closed tank mounted on one end of a counter- Weightedpivot beam and having a bottom connection to the water supply line through which it may be alternately filled and discharged. Compressed air, valved by the tilting of the pivot beam discharges the tank,,each time it fills, backreturns. (01'. 103 24s 2 h; into the supply line, wherein a check valve directs the water, now under relatively heavy pressure into a surge chamber, also closed to the atmosphere, and thence to the washing nozzle. The compressed air is also connected to a container for solvents or detergents and may be used to force such cleaning compounds into the surge chamber in a manner to produce eificient emulsification. Means are provided for locking the pivot beam in position to cut off or leave on the compressed air, so that either a gentle stream at supply line pressure'or a violent spray of air and water may be obtained at the washing nozzle in addition to the pressure jets obtained when th pivot beam is free to tilt.

I will describe a preferred form of my apparapoint out the novelfeatures' thereof in claims.

The. accompanying drawing is a perspective view of an apparatus embodying'my invention, the surge chamber being shown partly assembled and in part broken away to provide betterillustration of th pipe connection thereto.

Having reference now to the details of the drawings, this embodiment of my invention comprises a frame II to which is secured a bearing bracketi I2 providing support for a pivot pin. I3. A beam I4 is mounted upon the pivot pin I3 so as to pivot Within the bracket l2 and supports at one end a tank I5 and at the other end a counterweight I6, secured thereto .by a setscrew, I! so as to be movable along the beam. A standard I8 has a slip bearing [9, slidably supporting a rod 2! which is connected tothe beam I4 by a hook 22 and which may be locked in any desired position by a set screw 23 to prevent tilting of the beam M.

A water supply conduit 24 is provided with a check-valve25 and a shut-ofl valve 26 and has a portion 21 extending therebeyond to la T-fitting 28, one arm of which is set in the base plate 29 of a surge chamber 3| as an inlet thereto. Between the check-valve 25 and the fitting 28, is afitting 32, conduit 33 extends to the lower portion of; the tank l5, entering therethrough an orifice 34,

which as will be seen serves both as inlet andoutlet for water to and from the tank. An air supply :line 35, leading from a source'of compressed air ,(not shown), is similarly fitted with a shut-off valve 36, and has an extended portion 3'! beyond the valve 36 provided .with, a

T-fitting 38 from which a trigger valve 4|, A check-valve 40 is provided inQthe water concluitbetween the fitting 323 and from which a flexible branch pipe 39 leads to .a

the fitting 28, to prevent re-entry of water which has been pumped to the surge chamber 3!.

Normally closed tripper valve 4! and a like trigger valve 42 are mounted on the frame H under the beam l4 and on opposite sides of the bracket l2 so that they may be alternately opened by contact with the beam [4 as one end or the other of that beam descends, and closed as the beam rises. A nipple 43 leads from valve 4| to a T-fitting 44, from which a pipe 45 branches to valve 42 and a flexible hose 48 leads to an inlet 41 in the upper portion of tank l5.

Opening valve 4!, with concomitant closing of valve 42, will thus admit compressed air to tank I5; and closing of valve 4! with concomitant opening of valve 42 will shut off the supply of compressed air and will permit the pressure in tank l5 to be exhausted through hose 46, T-

fitting 44, and valve 42 which opens to the atmosphere.

The extended portion 31 of the air supply line 35 leads through a valve 48 to an inlet 49 in the, upper portion of a container 5|, adapted to contain liquid solvents or detergents or similar cleaning compounds, and having a closure 52 through which it may be filled and a pressure gage 53 by which the air pressure in the container may be measured. A pipe 54 leads from an outlet 55 in the, lower portion of the container 5! to the T-fitting 28 in the base plate I 23 of the surge chamber 31, and is provided with a valve 58 to regulate the flow of solvents from the container to the surge chamber. Pipe 54 is threaded to the lower arm of the T-fitting 28 and carries a nipple 51 which extends through the fitting and emerges from the upper arm thereof, leaving an annular space for the admission of water from the conduit portion 21, and forming a nozzle 58 which, by admitting the cleaning compounds concentrically of a circular water jet, encourages rapid mixture and emulsification.

A pipe 6! leads from an outlet 62 in the baseplate 29 and is provided with a check valve 63 which serves in cooperation with the check valve to make the hydraulic system between these valves a one-way system. That portion 64 of the pipe 6| extending beyond the check valve 63 may be fitted with any suitable discharge devices such as a flexible hose, spray-nozzles, and the like, not a part of this invention and not shown. A pressure gage 65 mounted on the pipe N indicates the pressure at which the water is discharged from the jet-forming apparatus.

To enable the operator to observe the mixture of the solvents from the container 5| and the Water from-the tank 15, so that he may suitably regulate the mixture by manipulation of thevalves26, 3B, 48, and 56, the dome 66 of the surge chamber 3! is preferably of transparent material, numerous plastic substances for that purpose being available. As illustrated, the surge chamber 3| comprises such a dome, provided with a flange 61 by which it may be clamped by any suitable clamping means to the base plate 29. The plate 29 is preferably metallic so as to receive threadedly the fittings 28 and 62'. It will be understood that the exact form of the surge chamber 3! is immaterial to myinvention, and that for example, a one-piece chamberhaving transparent windows might be substituted for the device shown.

. To operate the herein-described device to produce a pressure jet in the outlet pipe 84, the

operator opens the valves 28 and 36 to the desired degree. The apparatus will at once begin pumping water, provided that water at any pressure is available at the valve 26. If the tank I5 is at the moment filled sufiiciently to overbalance the counterweight 16, the valve ll will be open and the valve 42 closed, and compressed air will rush into the tank l5 'forcing water through the flexible conduit 33 to the fitting 32. As the check-valve 25 prevents the water from then flowing in that direction, the water is propelled into the surge chamber 3|. As soon as tank (5 is sumciently emptied so as to be raised by the counterweight l6, valve 4| will be closed and valve 42 will be opened,

thus cutting off the compressed air and releasing the pressure in tank 15. Water will again flow through the conduit 33 to the tank 15, and this cycle will be repeated as long as both valves '26 and 36 are open. The water will enter the surge chamber 31 in surges. and will depart therefrom in a continuous stream of fluctuating pressure and velocity, the maximum pressure being necessarily limited by the available air pressure, and the minimum pressure being governed by the back-pressure on the outlet of the surge chamber. The check-valve 40 will cause the pressure accumulated in the surge chamber to be expended through the outlet 62.

By opening the valves 48 and 56, the operator may inject cleaning compounds into the surge chamber there to be mixed with water at the nozzle 53 and emulsified by the surging action of the water in the chamber.

Changing the position of the counterweight IE on the beam 14 will change the amount of water in the tank 15 required to overbalance the counterweight, and consequently the head-space in the tank above the water. This head-space acts as an accumulator for the energy of the compressed air, and consequently by regulating its size, the energy available at the beginning of each pumping stroke can be regulated, and the rapidity of pumping controlled. This, in turn will affect the steadiness of the outflow from the surge chamber 31, which thus comes under the operators control.

If the operator so desires he may lock the valve 4| open and the valve 42 closed by manipulation of the rod 2! and set-screw 23, thus sending a stream of air through the tank I5 and surge chamber 3!, to dry surfaces already washed, or to remove dust preparatory to washing.

Although I have herein shown and described only one form of pressure jet apparatus, it is to be understood that various changes and modifications may be made therein without departing from the spirit of my invention and the spirit and in said conduit means preventing reverse flow of the water in said conduit means; valve means for controlling the supply'of water to said conduit means; a pivotally supported beam; a closed tank supported on said beam and spaced from the pivot thereof; means constantly acting to urge said beam to a position in which said tank is raised when relieved of water; a first flexible conduit connecting said conduit means and the bottom of the tank, and serving to lead water at times from, and at other times to said conduit means; a second flexible conduit leading compressed air from an external source into the top of the tank; and valve means controlling the flow of compressed air through the second flexible conduit and operated by the movement of the beam to admit compressed air through the second flexible conduit to the tank when the tank is in lowered position to expel the water therefrom through said first flexible conduit, and to connect the top of the tank to the atmosphere when the tank is in raised position, the alternate lowering of the tank due to the weight of the water flowing into it and raising of the tank due to the expulsion of water therefrom being automatically and continuously eiTected to impart a continuous series of high pressure pulses to the stream of water issuing for use from the apparatus.

2. Apparatus for delivering a continuous stream of Water with intermittent pulses of high pressure, including: conduit means for leading a continuous stream of water from an external source of supply to the apparatus and delivering water from the apparatus for use; check valve means in said conduit means preventin reverse flow of the water in said conduit means; valve means for controlling the supply of water to said conduit means; a beam pivotally supported intermediate its length; a weight mounted on one arm of said beam and a tank mounted on the other arm of said beam, the Weight being effective to raise the tank when the latter is relieved of water; a first flexible conduit connecting the valve controlled water conduit means and the bottom of the tank, and serving to lead water at times from, and at other times to said conduit means; a second flexible conduit leading compressed air from an external source into the top of the tank; and valve means controlling the flow of compressed air through the second flexible conduit and operated by the movement of the beam to admit compressed air through the second flexible conduit to the tank when the tank is in lowered position to expel the water therefrom through said first flexible conduit and to connect the top of the tank to the atmosphere when the tank is in raised position, the alternate lowering of the tank due to the weight of the water flowing into it and raising of the tank due to the expulsion of water therefrom being automatically and continuously efiected to impart a continuous series of high pressure pulses to the stream of water issuing for use from the apparatus.

3. Apparatus for delivering a stream of water having detergent and other material injected under pressure into the water stream, including: conduit means leading a stream of water from an external source of supply to the apparatus and delivering Water from the apparatus for use; a control valve controlling the admission of water to said conduit; a first check valve in said conduit adjacent said control valve; a second check valve in said conduit spaced from the first check valve in the direction of flow of Water through said conduit; a closed tank mounted for up and down movement; means constantly urging said tank in upward direction; a first flexible conduit connected at one end with said check valve controlled conduit between the first and second check valves and at the other end connected to the bottom of said tank; a second flexible conduit leading compressed air from an external source into thetop of the tank; valve means controlling the flow of compressed air through the second flexible conduit and operated by the downward movement of the tank under the weight of water entering said tank to admit compressed air to the tank to force the water therein into the conduit, and operated on the upward movement of the tank to connect the top of the tank to atmosphere; a closed chamber having an inlet in the bottom thereof to which the check valve controlled conduit, beyond the second check valve in the direction of flow of water therethrough, is connected; a nozzle arranged concentrically within said inlet, the detergent and the like being forced into the chamber through said nozzle; an outlet conduit from the bottom of said chamber; and a third check valve in said outlet conduit to prevent the reverse flow of fluid through said outlet conduit.

DEWEY M. PAX'I'ON.

References Cited in the flle of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 285,520 Spawn Sept. 25, 1883 504,151 Dean Aug. 29, 1893 813,558 Johnson Feb. 27, 1906 1,114,358 Hooker Oct. 20, 1914 1,174,372 Wild et a1 Mar. 7, 1916 1,459,136 Bambara June 19, 1923 1,675,772 Teeple July 3, 1928 1,690,629 Fleming et al Nov. 6, 1928 1,806,365 Paasche May 19, 1931 2,104,663 Metzger Jan. 4, 1938 FOREIGN PATENTS Number Country Date 167,900 Great Britain Aug. 25, 1921 

